2014 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Priced From $41,995

Land Rover’s popular Range Rover Evoque is entering the 2014 model year with a series of important updates, including a world-first nine-speed automatic transmission. The good news is that pricing hasn’t gone up with the number of gears, as the 2014 Range Rover Evoque is still priced from a very reasonable $41,995.

That gets you the five-door model in entry-level Pure trim. Should you want the Evoque Coupe, you’ll need to pay at least $45,040, though this comes in Pure Plus trim. The top-of-the-range Evoque Coupe in Dynamic trim will set you back $58,195.

Note, all prices listed are inclusive of a $895 destination charge. A single engine is common across the range: a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 240 horsepower on tap. As mentioned, a new nine-speed automatic is fitted as standard across the range as well. With a wider spread of ratios than the six-speeder it replaces, the new transmission enhances both performance and efficiency. We recently sampled it and found it to be smooth and intuitive.

A new Active Driveline system with active differentials and torque vectoring also debuts on the 2014 Range Rover Evoque, and is fitted as standard on all-wheel-drive models. The system decouples the rear axle in normal driving and automatically engages them within 300 milliseconds when added traction is required.

Active Torque Biasing uses an electronically controlled differential to distribute torque between the rear wheels, optimizing traction and stability. In addition, a Torque Vectoring feature is able to redirect torque among all four wheels to help improve handling.

There are also a number of driver-assist features. These include Park Exit (to automatically exit parallel parking bays), Adaptive Cruise Control (with Queue Assist, Forward Alert and Intelligent Emergency Braking), and Closing Vehicle Sensing.